Best newcomers table tennis bat

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Any advice on what bat is best to start with, only been playing a few weeks and been using the bats at the sports centre.
 
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The most important thing to look for in a "proper" beginner bat is a thick (~2.0mm) sponge, as this is what is most important in giving you the feel of serious player's equipment. In the US, Walmart only has the party variety bats and you must order online; I am not sure if GB has good premade bats in local stores or not. Be aware, some premade bats even branded by otherwise reputable brands like Joola, Stiga, etc. might not be proper bats if they are the casual party variety (at least in the US).

There are too many beginner bats out there, and to know if one is good you have to try it out yourself. I personally started with the Palio Expert ($40) from Amazon. It is a generic soft blade with CJ8000 rubber, a non bouncy, tacky topsheet with a soft thick sponge, and comes with a simple bat wallet. (Just a tip: clean dust from the topsheet with a speck of water and a cotton cloth.) Another option is to get a premade bat from tabletennis11, however shipping is $15.

The theory behind beginners starting with slow equipment is that it helps force you to use proper stroke technique to hit a good ball. Also, the longer dwell time (the feeling of the ball staying on the topsheet during contact) helps aid in getting more spin when brushing the ball, giving you more control to land the ball on the table. So when you upgrade to faster equipment, the good technique transfers over seamlessly. That being said, it is not impossible to start with faster gear. Whether you use a slow "beginner" or fast "advanced" setup, *the most important thing to improve is to develop good technique*. This is hard, so often you must get coaching to help you on this aspect.

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After you start developing a solid basic technique, you can upgrade to a good intermediate setup which is good enough to use at any level barring the top pro level. This consists of a fast but not too fast, or OFF- (offensive minus), wood blade and an "advanced" rubber. The most famous blade is the Stiga Clipper ($60), with many similar varieties produced by other companies (for example, Sanwei Fextra ($20), DHS PG-7 ($20)). There are many advanced rubbers to choose from, from good cheap chinese made rubbers for sub $20 (Palio AK47), middle prices rubbers from most manufactures for sub $50 (Fastarc C-1/G-1, Butterfly Rozena, etc.), and the most expensive Butterfly Tenergy and Dignics rubbers at $80. For the rubber, I would recommend getting anything but Tenergy and Dignics, as they are way to expensive at very little additional gain.

 
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I have a setup that would be really good for a beginner for the first 1-2 years and maybe longer.

Sanwei Accumulator S and Kokutaku Blutenkirsche (Training Rubber) on both sides. I tried this combination myself and it feels really good with a blade that is somewhere Allround+ and semi-hard grippy rubbers. All for about $30-35.

Then the Sanwei Ultra Spin, or LOKI Rxton I rubbers are really good for the price as well, but I was really impressed with the above combination.

And there are many cheaper good blades as well like DHS Wind series, LOKI V-5, Haitian Y-I and Sanwei Fextra Allround that would work just fine with any of these rubbers. :)
 
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You can get a better setup custom, but then you need to glue it yourself. This is not to hard, but may be a bit overwhelming for a beginner. Also, table tennis glue will have to be bought online, unless you can fine Elemer's Rubber Cement or Tearmender in the store.

Cheap chinese gear is great, but the caveat is that you have to order from aliexpress, which takes a month to ship.

 
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You can get a better setup custom, but then you need to glue it yourself. This is not to hard, but may be a bit overwhelming for a beginner. Also, table tennis glue will have to be bought online, unless you can fine Elemer's Rubber Cement or Tearmender in the store.

Cheap chinese gear is great, but the caveat is that you have to order from aliexpress, which takes a month to ship.

If ordering from an awesome spot like tabletennis11, they'll gladly glue your rubbers to the blade for you. Just have to make sure to request it in your order comments. Or, as I've often done, completely forget and send them an email later requesting it. Can't say enough good about their customer service.

 
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Thanks all for the advice, once I play a bit more and hopefully improve, I can look into getting new bat.
 
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+1 on the Stiga Allround + Mark V .. tried and tested

Another excellent, value-for-money combo is Sanwei m8 blade (or the new Sanwei Accumulator S) + Sanwei T88-III (on both sides) ...

Just an FYI - The Sanwei M8 & T88-III rubbers can be bought separately; and they're also as a premade combo, at several AliExpress stores..

 
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Any advice on what bat is best to start with, only been playing a few weeks and been using the bats at the sports centre.
How much money do you have?

Butterfly Falcima with two side Rozena for the most awesome branded set-up.

My personal fav noobie set up is Tibhar Stratus Powerwood with two side Donic Baracuda.

 
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Thanks all for the advice, once I play a bit more and hopefully improve, I can look into getting new bat.

It all depends on what kind of rackets you have got at sports center. If they are really unqualified, you'd better change it to a qualified racket as soon as possible before you had developed any bad habit.

 
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How much money do you have?

Butterfly Falcima with two side Rozena for the most awesome branded set-up.

My personal fav noobie set up is Tibhar Stratus Powerwood with two side Donic Baracuda.

Being a student I don't have much money to spare at the moment so I am going to keep.playing as I signed up to play twice weekly and get more experience then hopefully at the end of the month I can look into getting either a decent table tennis bat or decent footwear as I have to play in my bare feet for now but have got a few ideas now thanks to this board😃

 
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Being a student I don't have much money to spare at the moment so I am going to keep.playing as I signed up to play twice weekly and get more experience then hopefully at the end of the month I can look into getting either a decent table tennis bat or decent footwear as I have to play in my bare feet for now but have got a few ideas now thanks to this board😃


For the absolute cheapest beginner setup, palio bat from aliexpress is $15. Just have to wait a month to arrive: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803181123394.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6e8c2df2xMcYGQ&algo_pvid=d1faa1d3-cdeb-49b5-ba2b-2e6362cadd2d&algo_exp_id=d1faa1d3-cdeb-49b5-ba2b-2e6362cadd2d-2&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000025448869601%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21%216.71%21%21%21%21%21%40210318d116573039962703347ea9b2%2112000025448869601%21sea

If you want a custom setup to grow with you to the intermediate level and you want to save the most money, then chinese gear from aliexpress is the option. Blade ($10-$20) and rubber ($5-$10 each) is what to shoot for. The thread has many good recommendations. You can try to find a premade version with blade and rubber on aliexpress, or if you can't, see if the seller offers glueing service and ask them to glue the rubbers on for you. Also make sure it comes with a bat wallet, otherwise get a cheap one too.

 
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For the absolute cheapest beginner setup, palio bat from aliexpress is $15. Just have to wait a month to arrive: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3256803181123394.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.0.0.6e8c2df2xMcYGQ&algo_pvid=d1faa1d3-cdeb-49b5-ba2b-2e6362cadd2d&algo_exp_id=d1faa1d3-cdeb-49b5-ba2b-2e6362cadd2d-2&pdp_ext_f=%7B%22sku_id%22%3A%2212000025448869601%22%7D&pdp_npi=2%40dis%21USD%21%216.71%21%21%21%21%21%40210318d116573039962703347ea9b2%2112000025448869601%21sea

If you want a custom setup to grow with you to the intermediate level and you want to save the most money, then chinese gear from aliexpress is the option. Blade ($10-$20) and rubber ($5-$10 each) is what to shoot for. The thread has many good recommendations. You can try to find a premade version with blade and rubber on aliexpress, or if you can't, see if the seller offers glueing service and ask them to glue the rubbers on for you. Also make sure it comes with a bat wallet, otherwise get a cheap one too.

Yep. The CJ8000 rubber is great performance/price ratio :)

 

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Brs

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Another vote for the combo paddle from AliExpress. The value is great and more expensive equipment will not make you improve faster.

For shoes you could look for volleyball or badminton shoes on a clearance offer. They are not exactly the same as table tennis shoes, but they are really close. And more people play those sports so shoes are easier to find and often cost less.
 
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If you're a newcomer to table tennis, you may want to consider a paddle that is designed for beginners and offers a balance of control and spin. Butterfly 401, STIGA Evolution and Killerspin JET200 these are just a few suggestions to get you started. It's important to consider your playing style and skill level when choosing a best intermediate table tennis paddle, so you may want to try out different options before making a purchase.
 
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